Request for Expressions of Interest
Agence Française de Développement

Request for Expressions of Interest – Sustainable Forest Livelihoods for communities of Guyana and Suriname Project
(SFL Guyana and Suriname).

CONSULTING SERVICES
Expressions of Interest
1. WWF- Guianas has received financing from Agence Française de Développement ("AFD") and intends to use part of the funds thereof for payments under the following project Sustainable
Forest Livelihoods for Communities of Guyana and Suriname (SFL Guyana and Suriname).
2. The Services of the consultant shall consist of:
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organisations, with supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. Our mission is to build a future in
which people live in harmony with nature. We know that the well-being of people, wildlife and the environment are closely linked. It is in this context that WWF wants to work together with the people of
Suriname and Guyana to conserve our natural heritage for human well-being for now and for generations to come. Through funding from the European Union (EU), WWF has reached an agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) to execute a Sustainable Livelihoods Project in Suriname and Guyana. The project will strengthen local communities in selected landscapes in Suriname and
Guyana and will focus on supporting and developing the skills, tools and multi-actor forums needed to implement territorial management plans for their forests and other natural resources. Additionally, the
project will enhance sustainable nature- and forest-based livelihood opportunities for communities in Suriname and Guyana with a main focus on developing sustainable wood and nature-based value chains, promoting traditional knowledge, climate-smart and agroecological practices. Training and strengthening of the capacities of the communities around these value chains are also foreseen. The
project will explore if long-term sustainable financial mechanisms for forest conservation and community development could be fostered in the targeted areas.

The expected deliverables will include:
• Conducting participative consultation rounds with community representatives in focal
landscapes and with key stakeholders.
• Conducting an analysis of community needs in land and natural resource management, existing
community development, natural resource management initiatives, value chains and community
enterprise development and financial mechanisms for community enterprises.
• Identifying and providing advice on relevant cooperation opportunities for the SFL project.
• Providing a detailed formulation of the SFL project activities and related budget.

The estimated fees for this contract are Euro 130,000.

Request for Expressions of Interest
The WWF-Guianas hereby invites Applicants to show their interest in delivering the Services described above.
This Request for Expressions of Interest is open to:
 Consulting firms  Individual consultants
 NGOs  Joint Venture between NGO(s) and
consulting firm(s)
Eligibility criteria to AFD financing are specified in sub-clause 1.3 of the "Procurement Guidelines for
AFD Financed Contracts in Foreign Countries", available online on AFD’s website: http://www.afd.fr.

The Applicant shall submit only one application, either in its own name or as a member of a Joint Venture
(JV). If an Applicant (including any JV member) submits or participates in more than one application, those applications shall all be rejected. However, the same Subconsultant may participate in several applications.
If the Applicant is a JV, the expression of interest shall include:
− a copy of the JV Agreement entered into by all members,
or
− a letter of intent to execute a JV Agreement, signed by all members together with a copy of the Agreement proposal.
In the absence of this document, the other members will be considered as Subconsultants.
The experiences and qualifications of Subconsultants are not considered in the evaluation of the applications.
Interested Applicants must provide information evidencing that they are qualified and experienced to perform those Services. For that purpose, documented evidence of recent and similar services shall be
submitted.
Determination of the similarity of the experiences will be based on:
− The contract size: Applicant should have undertaken contract(s) of a similar value and nature. A minimum of three (03) prior contracts is required.
− The nature of the Services: At least three (03) prior assignments with outputs related to integrated landscape management, community development, participatory natural resource management,
community enterprise development, value chain development and financing mechanisms for community enterprises.
− The technical area and expertise:
• Indigenous and tribal community engagement
• Experience in market systems dynamics, and value chain management, such as Participatory Market Systems Development
• Mapping and context analysis
• Strategic design and planning
− The location: Guyana and Suriname, with a focus on indigenous and tribal communities.

The Client will also take into account for the evaluation of the applications the following items:
• The Applicant’s skills and experience working in the local country contexts (Guyana and Suriname), including with local and tribal communities and the availability of local and
national experts within the consulting firm.
• Demonstrated knowledge of key partners and stakeholders within each country who must be engaged to successfully achieve the deliverables of this consultancy.
Among the submitted applications, WWF-Guianas will shortlist a maximum of six (6) Applicants to whom the Request for Proposals to carry out the Services shall be sent.
The Expressions of Interest must be submitted to the address below no later than September 15, 2023, to:
WWF- Guianas
Henck Arronstraat 63 Suite E
Paramaribo, Suriname
Telephone: (597) 422 357
Email: mmenasse@wwf.sr.
Interested Applicants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours:
mmenasse@wwf.sr

Appendix to The Request for Expressions of Interest.
(To be submitted with the application, signed and unaltered)
Statement of Integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility.

Reference of the bid or proposal Consultancy Services to design and conduct a detailed feasibility assessment of the Sustainable Forest Livelihoods (SFL) project in Guyana and Suriname” (the
"Contract").
To: WWF (the "Contracting Authority").
1. We recognise and accept that Agence Française de Développement ("AFD") only finances projects of the Contracting Authority subject to its own conditions, which are set out in the Financing Agreement, which benefits directly or indirectly to the Contracting Authority. As a
matter of consequence, no legal relationship exists between AFD and our company, our joint venture or our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or sub-consultants. The Contracting Authority retains exclusive responsibility for the preparation and implementation of the procurement process and performance of the contract. The Contracting Authority means the Purchaser, the Employer, or the Client, as the case may be, for the procurement of goods, works, plants, consulting services or non-consulting services.
2. We hereby certify that neither we nor any other member of our joint venture or any of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or sub-consultants is in any of the following
situations:
2.1 Being bankrupt, wound up or ceasing our activities, having our activities administered by the courts, having entered into receivership, reorganisation or being in any analogous situation arising from any similar procedure;
2.2 Having been:
a. convicted, within the past five years by a court decision, which has the force of res judicata in the country where the Contract is implemented, of fraud, corruption or any other offence committed during a procurement process or performance of a contract (in the event of such conviction, you may attach to this Statement of Integrity supporting information showing that this conviction is not relevant in the context of this Contract);
b. subject to an administrative sanction within the past five years by the European Union or by the competent authorities of the country where we are constituted for fraud, corruption or for any other offence committed during a procurement process or performance of a contract (in the event of such sanction, you may attach to this Statement of Integrity supporting information showing that this sanction is not relevant in the context of this Contract);
c. convicted, within the past five years by a court decision, which has the force of res judicata, of fraud, corruption or any other offence committed during the procurement process or performance of an AFD-financed contract;
2.3 Being listed for financial sanctions by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France for the purposes of fight-against-terrorist financing or threat to international peace and security;
2.4 Having been subject within the past five years to a contract termination fully settled against us for significant or persistent failure to comply with our contractual obligations during contract performance, unless this termination was challenged and dispute resolution is still pending or has not confirmed a full
settlement against us;
2.5 Not having fulfilled our fiscal obligations regarding payments of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of either the country where we are constituted or the Contracting Authority's country;
2.6 Being subject to an exclusion decision of the World Bank and being listed on the website
http://www.worldbank.org/debarr (in the event of such exclusion, you may attach to this Statement of Integrity supporting information showing that this exclusion is not relevant in the context of this
Contract);
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2.7 Having created false documents or committed misrepresentation in documentation requested by the Contracting Authority as part of the procurement process of this Contract.
3. We hereby certify that neither we nor any of the members of our joint venture nor any of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or sub-consultants are in any of the following
situations of conflict of interest:
3.1 Being an affiliate controlled by the Contracting Authority or a shareholder controlling the Contracting Authority, unless the stemming conflict of interest has been brought to the attention of AFD and resolved to its satisfaction;
3.2 Having a business or family relationship with a Contracting Authority's staff involved in the procurement process or the supervision of the resulting Contract, unless the stemming conflict of interest has been brought to the attention of AFD and resolved to its satisfaction;
3.3 Being controlled by or controlling another bidder or consultant, or being under common control with another bidder or consultant, or receiving from or granting subsidies directly or indirectly to another
bidder or consultant, having the same legal representative as another bidder or consultant, maintaining direct or indirect contacts with another bidder or consultant which allows us to have or give access to
information contained in the respective applications, bids or proposals, influencing them or influencing decisions of the Contracting Authority;
3.4 Being engaged in a consulting services activity, which, by its nature, may be in conflict with the assignments that we would carry out for the Contracting Authority;
3.5 In the case of procurement of goods, works or plants:
a. Having prepared or having been associated with a consultant who prepared specifications, drawings, calculations, and other documentation to be used in the procurement process of this
Contract;
b. Having been recruited (or being proposed to be recruited) ourselves or any of our affiliates to carry out works supervision or inspection for this Contract.
4. If we are a state-owned entity and to compete in a procurement process, we certify that we have legal and financial autonomy and that we operate under commercial laws and regulations.
5. We undertake to bring to the attention of the Contracting Authority, which will inform AFD of any change in the situation with regard to points 2 to 4 here above.
6. In the context of the procurement process and performance of the corresponding contract:
6.1 We have not, and we will not engage in any dishonest conduct (act or omission) deliberately indented to deceive others, to intentionally conceal items, to violate or vitiate someone's consent, to
make them circumvent legal or regulatory requirements and/or to violate their internal rules in order to obtain illegitimate profit;
6.2 We have not, and we will not engage in any dishonest conduct (act or omission) contrary to our legal or regulatory obligations or our internal rules in order to obtain illegitimate profit;
6.3 We have not promised, offered or given, and we will not promise, offer or give, directly or indirectly, to (i) any Person who holds a legislative, executive, administrative or judicial mandate within the State of the Contracting Authority regardless of whether that Person was nominated or elected, regardless of the permanent or temporary, paid or unpaid nature of the position and regardless of the hierarchical level the Person occupies, (ii) any other Person who performs a public function, including for a State institution or a State-owned company, or who provides a public service, or (iii) any other person defined as a Public Officer by the national laws of the Contracting Authority’s country, an undue advantage of
any kind, for himself or for another Person or entity, for such Public Officer to act or refrain from acting in his official capacity;
6.4 We have not promised, offered or given, and we will not promise, offer or give, directly or indirectly,to any Person who occupies an executive position in a private sector entity or works for such an entity, regardless of the nature of his/her capacity, any undue advantage of any kind, for himself or another person or entity for such Person to perform or refrain from performing any act in breach of its legal, contractual or professional obligations;
6.5 We have not, and we will not engage in any practice likely to influence the contract award process to the detriment of the Contracting Authority and, in particular, in any anti-competitive practice having for object or for effect to prevent, restrict or distort competition, namely by limiting access to the market or the free exercise of competition by other undertakings;
6.6 Neither we nor any of the members of our joint venture or any of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or sub-consultants shall acquire or supply any equipment nor operate in
any sectors under an embargo of the United Nations, the European Union or France;
6.7 We commit ourselves to comply with and ensure that all of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or sub-consultants comply with international environmental and labour standards, consistent with laws and regulations applicable in the country of implementation of the Contract, including the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and
international environmental treaties. Moreover, we shall implement environmental and social risk mitigation measures when specified in the environmental and social commitment plan (ESCP) provided
by the Contracting Authority;
7. We, as well as members of our joint venture and our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or sub-consultants authorise AFD to inspect accounts, records and other documents relating
to the procurement process and performance of the contract and to have them audited by auditors appointed by AFD.

Name: _____________________________________________________________ In the capacity of:
Duly empowered to sign in the name and on behalf of1:_____________________________________
Signature: ________________________________________________________________________
Dated: __________________________________________________________________________